Bounedjah: We’ve completed 50% of the task, we dedicate this win to our fans

Al-Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah spoke of his delight after leading the team to a 3-1 away win over Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Monday. The Algerian striker scored twice and assisted Akram Afif for the other goal to claim the man of the match award.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Bounedjah said: “We are very happy with this great win, especially as we were behind by an own goal. We managed to make a comeback in the second half and scored three great goals which gave us this important win. We have taken an important step towards the semifinals of the tournament.”

He added: “The goal that we conceded motivated us to win. We dedicate this great victory to the Al-Sadd fans.”

“We haven’t clinched qualification yet but we have completed 50% of the task. We promise the fans that we will perform at our best in the next game to secure the semifinal spot.”

He concluded by saying: “The win is a huge psychological boost for all the players. The team is capable of going all the way.”